There's A Better Way To Prepare Costco's Stuffed Bell Peppers With Ground Beef, According To Shoppers

In addition to all of the bulk-sized products on offer at Costco, there are a few other aspects of the warehouse chain that draw customers back each week. The always-inexpensive offerings at the food court get a lot of press, and the free samples carts certainly invite a nibble on every visit, but Costco's prepared foods are a draw that perhaps don't get as much notice as they deserve. Packages of chicken Alfredo, salmon Milano with basil pesto butter, and stuffed bell peppers with ground beef and rice make weeknight dinners easy and delicious — particularly if you know the off-label preparation secrets. When it comes to the stuffed peppers, regular customers insist that swapping the oven for the air fryer makes all the difference.

This deli dish from Costco consists of six sweet bell pepper halves with the seeds and pith removed and the cavity filled instead with a mixture of spiced ground beef and rice cooked with tomato sauce. On top is a small sprinkle of mozzarella and provolone. Despite the filling being cooked when you buy them, however, the package directions still call for 50 to 55 minutes in the oven before these peppers are ready to eat. It is convenient not to have to worry about any prep work before sticking them in the oven, but that is still a long time to wait for dinner on a busy weeknight. According to folks on Reddit, though, with an air fryer set at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, the peppers are done in about one-quarter the time. After a long day, putting dinner on the table in 15 minutes is something we can all celebrate.

The air fryer does more than cut down the cooking time of these stuffed bell peppers, however. The different cooking style also improves the way they taste. Air-fried foods are cooked via the circulation of hot, dry air throughout the cooking chamber. This saves considerable time versus conventional ovens and also helps foods to quickly brown and crisp — the reason that they are said to "fry" food, despite the lack of oil. This effect is on full display with Costco's stuffed peppers, as the air fryer quickly melts the cheese and crisps up the meaty filling while warming the center and keeping it nice and juicy. With a better cook in a quarter of the time, there's really no arguing with the air fryer here.

Tossing the peppers in the air fryer instead of the oven is one simple improvement, but there are plenty of other ways you might quickly upgrade these stuffed peppers while you're at it. For one thing, these peppers come with a little bit of cheese sprinkled over the top, but it's pretty tough to overdo cheese. Adding more takes no time at all and lends them an extra layer of gooey decadence. Adding some chopped nuts for a little bit of crunch is another fun alteration, or you can pump up the moisture and flavor with an extra drizzle of tomato sauce.

Straight from the deli to the oven, Costco's stuffed peppers are an easy weeknight meal. But with a few tricks — like extra cheese and a trip to the air fryer instead of the oven — you can not only get them on the table much faster, but also turn them into a dinner that the whole family will clamor for every week.